Ever since the origin of organized warfare, logistics have been an important factor of the operations of all armies. Material, such as arms, ammunition, food, and other military equipment, have to be produced or acquired and stored. Furthermore soldiers have to be transported to the battlefield and supplied in order to successfully carry out military operations. The American Civil War revolutionized military logistics. Namely it was the first war which spilled across the whole continent. In order to carry out long distance military operations both, Union and Confederacy, had to develop effective logistical systems. The biggest influence on their development had the invention of the steam engine which lead to the rise of steam boats and railroad. The former was mostly adopted by the Union which used rivers as means of transportation of troops, animals, fodder, food and other military equipment, while railroads were used in majority by both sides. The Union entered the war logistically better prepared, namely because of greater manufacturing capabilities and wider railroad network, which enabled more effective and faster transportation of troops, supplies, and other military equipment. Meanwhile, the Confederacy was not able to solve logistical problems, such as production and acquisition of the necessary material and military equipment, draught animals and fodder deficit, insufficient skilled workers who would organize and manage water and railroad transportation, and last but not least, underdevelopment and decline of the existing railroad infrastructure.
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